Chandler: Entertainment options abound in summer 2012

This week’s massive cover package details every option for summer fun that I could find in the last few weeks.

I’m exhausted, and summer hasn’t even started yet.

But when you pore through it, you’ll find a mother lode of fantastic options stretching from Memorial Day through Aug. 31 — something virtually every day all summer long.

In addition to longtime favorites like High Noon on the Square, the Center City Block Party, June Jazz and more, a few options really stand out to me:

I’m particularly looking forward to the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Summer Fiesta on June 21, if only because I’ll be judging salsas and margaritas again this year. And I’m also anxious to see country legend Merle Haggard perform later that evening at the Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium.

Stage and TV star Megan Mullally will perform June 9 at Amarillo Little Theatre. Not only is Mullally, best known as the drunken Karen Walker on “Will & Grace,” an absolutely hilarious actress, but she’s got an incredible singing voice. I’m dying to see her.

Dumas native Joe King Carrasco comes home for a performance during Dumas Dogie Days and at the Golden Light Cantina in Amarillo on June 16.

This year’s AGN Media July 4th Fireworks Festival has a killer lineup of bands, including the winner of the Get Out! Battle of the Bands (voting enters the fourth round on Monday!), plus A.J. Swope & The Last Train Home, Casey Berry and the Amarillo Symphony.

This summer’s cast of “Texas” will stretch by staging two of Shakespeare’s best on some off nights — “The Tempest” in June and “Macbeth” in July.

And in July, acting troupe Merely Players will stage one of my favorite comedies, “Sylvia” (a popular touring show for Amarillo Little Theatre several years back).

Amarillo singer-songwriter Yvonne Perea has been sneaking across state lines, and it’s paying off.

Perea’s band, hONEyhoUSe, was named “Best of the Year” for its album “Sun” at the New Mexico Music Awards on May 20.

“It was so magical,” Perea said. “We weren’t expecting anything. We didn’t throw the CD together, but we haven’t been together that long. These songs were all songs that we all kind of had.”

The trio, which also includes Albuquerque musician Hillary Smith, and Colorado Springs, Colo., musician Mandy Buchanan, will perform at 8:30 p.m. June 9 at the Palace Coffee Co., 420 15th St. in Canyon.

“Sun” came together in about six months at Albuquerque studio Wall of Sound with producer John Wall.

“We played a song for him called ‘On and On,’ the first one that we all learned together and finished writing, and he cried,” Perea said. “He said he’d never cried before when somebody played him a song to see if he’d work on the project.”

The album’s title track was inspired by the late Leon “Bubba” Smith, the Potter County Precinct 4 constable who died in January 2011 and was a close friend of Perea.

“Hillary always says Bubba pushed the pen,” Perea said.

In all, “Sun” was nominated for six awards, but until the end of the night, had won zero. Just before the final award was announced, hONEyhoUSe performed three songs.

“We thought that if we don’t win anything, that’s OK, they’re going to remember our performance,” Perea said. “Then we hit the jackpot with the last award.”